Vintage vs. Modern...

That makes sense. Razorock razors are all over the place, some are $20 and others are several hundred. I have a Hawk and its a pretty nice razor but question how much it varies from a Cobra or a Wunderbar for example.

As far as Maggard razors go, they seem to be much heavier then most of the cheaper razors on the market. Some are more aggressive than others, but the Slant shaves almost as good as the Icon X3 slant, although both are excellent razors IMO.

 

Bookworm: Enough to know what I will and will not use on my face. I have smelled bakelite and I have felt it after it begins to break down and I assure you it is not something I want to use as a razor. It's intended use was and is as a dry insulating material for use in electrical equipment not as a medium from which razors are manufactured, probably why it didn't last too long on the market.

 

Okay - now I know you're crazy. Bakelite is still manufactured today. That's 117 years of production. In many places, Bakelite was replaced by more flexible plastics, yes, not to mention the clear/translucent ones (and very light ones), but it's still out there. (fading out, mostly because of lack of recyclability by standard means) Insulators was probably the first use, but certainly not what it was 'designed for'.

http://www.manmonthly.com.au/features/manufacturers-monthly-material-of-the-month-part-1-bakelite/

I can't find anything but one reference to a badly done tumour study in the 1930's that even mentions Bakelite and cancers. It's like making lye soap - the phenolic resin is bonded with the aldehydes, making a product that isn't toxic. If you BURN it, it may have problems, and a lot of that is going to be the fillers, not the plastic itself.

As long as it's not falling apart, I wouldn't have a problem shaving with one. Any toxic substances would be predominantly lost when washing the razor before and after use.

 

Buy a vintage Gillette blade and shave with it and then try a new blade. Tell me theres no difference.

 

Uhhh.... There's a big difference.

Corrosion. Even "stainless" steel corrodes, and the coatings will sublimate over time.

There have been people that have tried the original Wilkinson Sword razor blades (NOS, stored properly) and had raving reviews for it. After discussion, the consensus was that part of it was probably that the blades back then were .006 inches, and now they're .004. I think one brand is still .006, but I don't recall which - Feather? Kai? Improves rigidity which lowers flex and blade chatter on blades not supported all the way to the end.